Wherewithal
by Mockingjay1804
Summary: An underground society planning to gain power over New Panem and reinstate the power of President Snow has finally moved aboveground. Fallyn Mellark and her siblings are suddenly swept up in a war that is just beginning...with just a hint of Haymitch.
1. Chapter 1

I absentmindedly pick at my salad while staring at Pike Grove High's trophy case. On a large gold trophy reads _District Football Champions_. Under it is a picture of my brother, Jayce Mellark, standing next to coach, huge smiles plastered on both of their faces. Another large trophy next to it…_District Basketball Champions_. Oddly enough, Lyle Mellark's picture is sitting under that trophy. Stupid, sweaty, blond, 6 feet tall twin brothers. I just get all the luck around here, don't I? Whatever. I drift in and out of my friends' conversation, because it's about what we're doing in History class and honestly I'd like to think about anything _but_ that. I catch my reflection in the trophy case glass and sigh. Sleek black hair that falls in loose curls to my ribs. Bright blue eyes that pop against olive skin. Ski slope nose and high cheekbones. Everyone says I look just like my mother did when she was my age. _Great,_ I think sarcastically, _just another thing to make me one of the Mockingjay Babies. _

"Fallyn, are you even _listening_?" Callie's high-pitched voice somehow snaps me back to reality. "I was talking about your father in the History video this morning. That's how he lost his leg, right? I mean, from being in the Hunger Games?" Oh, right. The Hunger Games. What we're learning about.

"Um, ya, he, uh, got his leg cut from that one guy." I say quietly. Callie rolls her eyes at me. I never really liked her. I could tell from the start that she just wanted to be friends with me because she was told to by a thriving social parent. I have to give her props, though-usually people like that stop hanging out with me after about a week. Tired of being around me, I guess. I'm not really a people person. Again, unlike my brothers. Go figure.

I can sense the predator approaching me from behind long before whoever it is reaches me. Probably from years of hunting with my mother, although I don't stop to ponder this. A large, cold hand lands on my shoulder and I am already prepared. When I use my understated muscles to pull said hand and hurl the man on the lunch table, I get a good look at him. My opponent is a large bald man wearing a business suit with a headpiece in one ear. He's been prepared for me to do something like this, I can tell, because he's on his feet again in a flash. I dodge his fist and plant my own deep in his gut. When he doubles over, I slam him into the hard tiled floor and punch him in the throat before pinning his body down with my own. I want to know why this mysterious figure is trying to hurt me.

"I really have to compliment your hand-to-hand combat skills. We figured you'd know how to defend yourself somewhat, but nothing like this." The man's deep, gravelly voice scares me. I look my attacker strait in his cold, hard eyes.

"How foolish of you, then. I did learn from the best, you know." I say, trying to sound as menacing as him. The man just laughs.

"You're just like your mother. It was quite an honor of me to be on a mission involving such important figures in the rebellion itself. Now that I think about it, we were smart to include the entire family in our plan." I punch him in the jaw hard and fast before I can stop myself. I truly hope he doesn't realize that what he just said cut me to the very core. Because if this man is trying to hurt me, then surely some one will be going after an innocent young girl with kinky-curly blonde hair and big blue eyes. Some one who I love with all my heart. Some one named Rosy Mellark.

"What did you do with my little sister?" I try to keep up the 'mean' act but fail because my voice cracks at the end. My head is filled with only thoughts of sweet little Rosy. She's just 11, not yet old enough to learn about mother and fathers' past. Not yet old enough to be taught how to fight, hunt, and survive, if it came to that, by our parents. The man seems to realize that thinking about Rosy is a weakness.

"Oh, you won't have to worry about her for much long-"

"_WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?"_ I shriek. The man just smiles, and presses a button on the side of his watch. Suddenly, 2 more men dressed just as the first one appear and lift me into the air. I thrash around, trying to find a way out of their grasp, when I see my brothers' bloodied, unconscious bodies being dragged out of the building. One of the men punches me in my cheek, _hard,_ and kicks the side of my body.

I see even more suited figures poring out from behind shadowed corners and deserted hallways. They all have small pistols waving around in the air. I see panic in each and every one of my classmates' eyes. _What is going on?_ Just as I am tossed into the back of an SUV with my mutilated siblings, the shooting begins.

**So, 'wherewithal' means **_**that which to do something.**_** Fallyn is soon going to realize that she is an important part in the war that is to come. I'm thinking about making this into a full-blown story, but I need support(: Review, please! Seriously, 'good job' would just make my day…Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, ladies and gentlemen(: glad to see you actually thought this story was worthy of your time! I know this update is **_**really**_** short, but it should give you a pretty good glimpse of the future. Kudos if you can guess what's happening! Oh, and please, **_**please**_** review(: Enjoy!**

As soon as I hear the latches of the SUV doors close behind me, I roll onto my side and do a quick assessment. My face is fine, but I think I've got a couple fractured ribs. I hear Lyle grunt and sit up behind me. He must not have been unconscious after all. His eyes widen and he looks around, and as soon as he realizes where we are I bombard him with an array of questions.

"What happened? What did they tell you? Where's Rosy?" Lyle's eyes widen at my last question.

"I-I mean-we were just in class, and then they came in and-I didn't fight, but Jayce did, at first. They went at him pretty hard. They never said anything about…oh God, you don't think they have her, do you?" His words come out in one long, jumbled sentence. I take deep breaths through my mouth and try to think of a life without Rosy Mellark. Rosy, who got the very best traits of mother and father. Rosy, who can cheer up our entire family, even mother on one of her bad days. I shudder at the thought.

I check Jayce's pulse and try to shake him awake, to no avail. I guess he really _is_ unconscious. Although it doesn't really do any good for me to even try to awake him, because I'm only a 115 pound teenage girl and he's, well…the captain of the football team. The SUV screeches to a halt and Jayce, Lyle, and I are jolted by the sheer impact of the crash. I brace myself for cold, cruel hands, but only receive the doors being swung open and bits and pieces of hushed voices.

"Did you get them?"

"All three. We took care of the others."

"Alright then, come on. We need to get back to the hovercraft if we're going to make it."

Those were the last bits of sound I heard before my world went black.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey(: Hopefully this update won't be as short, but don't expect as much action because Fallyn, Lyle, and Jayce need to figure out what's going on before the **_**real**_** story can begin. Enjoy!**

_Beep. Beep. _

"_Fallyn, dandelion? Are you alright?" _

_Beep. Beep._

"_Of course, she's perfectly fine. Just give her some time for the morphine to wear off."_

_Beep. Beep. _

"_I don't care if you're a doctor, she's my daughter and I need to know if she's going to be okay!"_

_Beep. Beep._

Somehow, through the thick haze of morphine dragging my down, I latch on to my father's voice and try to reach him. When I finally muster up the strength to open my heavy eyelids, there he is. Only two short years away from forty years old, yet he still captures that fascinating smile and twinkling mirth in his eyes just the same as he did in the videos we watch in History Class. Aside from some kind crinkles around his bright blue eyes and a few laugh lines around his mouth, he's still Peeta Mellark all the same. I look up at him and as he wraps his secure arms around me, I am jolted back to when I was just six years old.

"_Betcha can't beat us to the fence!" Jayce's taunting angers me. _

"_Oh yes I could!" I stomp my little six-year-old feet to the 'starting line', a stick Lyle has found. I stand behind the stick and wait._

"_Ready, set, GO!" Jayce's voice booms and I pick up my foot to run as fast as I can to the fence and prove to my stupid brothers that I'm better than them. But I lunge forward instead and when I finally open my eyes, I'm sprawled on the ground with the boys looking down at me, laughing. _

"_I can't believe you fell for that!" Jayce says, holding the stick. Wait…the stick! They must've tripped me with it…_

"_Yep! That was classic!" Lyle is standing next to him. I start to wail when they just turn and walk away because it's almost dark and I've never been outside at night before without mommy or daddy with me. About an hour later, after all the stars are out and the blood has stopped flowing from my kneecaps, daddy finds me huddled up against the big oak tree near where we were playing. _

"_Don't cry, little dandelion." Daddy wraps his big strong arms around me and picks me up._

"_W-Why d-do they do that?" I sob._

"_They're just boys dandelion. They don't know any better. But they'll never do it again, I promise."_

_I don't know exactly what daddy said to Lyle and Jayce that night, but since that day they've been just as sweet as daddy is to everyone around them. _

"Daddy?" I sound just like I did when I was six.

"I'm right here, little dandelion." He tightens his grip around me.

"Is Rosy okay?" The one question that's been haunting me in my morphine-induced dreams. Father gets a clouded look in his eyes, and I know what's coming. I wriggle out of father's arms and move his warm hands to the chair sitting by my hospital bed, which he grips so hard I can see the indents he's forming on it. I watch him squeeze his eyes shut so hard it _must_ be hurting, and occasionally whisper something unintelligible to himself. After a minute or so more of this, his grip loosens and father looks at me, eyes still glassy and tortured.

"Rosy…they…haven't found her…yet." His voice cracks on the last word and I start sobbing.

"I want to talk to mother."

**Ooh, cliffie! Except, not really(: The point is, Fallyn and Katniss don't exactly…get along. Byas!**


	4. Chapter 4

There she is, in all her glory. Katniss Everd- excuse me, _Mellark,_ sitting on the edge of Jayce's bed. Eyes sunken back in her skull from endless nights of lost sleep. Worry lines etched across her forehead. Long, glassy black hair loosely tied back from her face. Misty gray eyes darting from Jayce to Lyle, then the door, then the same thing all over again. She looks up and her eyebrows hitch together when she hears father struggling to get my wheelchair through the door. I look up too, and get a good look at her. My mother.

She starts crying.

At that moment in time, I forget everything and jump out of the wheelchair, flying strait into my mother's arms. I forget that the rest of my family is watching. I forget that I blame her for Rosy's disappearance. I forget that I blame her for this very situation we are in at the moment, but none of it matters. Because she's the one person in this family that knows how much I need Rosy.

"I forgive you." I whisper, barely audible. But she hears me, and that's all that matters. She pulls back to look at me and pats my hair into place, like a mother does.

"I know." She whispers back. Jayce clears his throat awkwardly, and I'm thrust back into this awful world again. Suddenly, I remember. And my mother isn't hugging me anymore. She must be remembering too. But I've already said what I needed to, and I'm not going to take it back, because Rosy would want us to stick together. She'd want us to be happy, and loving.

And, in the process of trying to kindle that little shred of innocence she still had, we would've pretended. Not yet old enough to know the horrors of our parents' awful past, Rosy was- _is_ the happiness in our family. And of course father's sugar cookies help, too.

Walking in a long, white hallway, I finally take notice of where I am. Father navigates me to a large room with endless rows of small black television screens lining the walls. Sitting at a switchboard are two men, one of them pressing buttons and turning knobs this way and that, and the other slumped in a chair, mumbling something intelligible and waving a liquor bottle around. I smile, surprised that the appearance of grouchy old Haymitch can cheer me up. He turns when we enter in our small parade of people, minus one, and doesn't seem fazed at all that we're here. In fact, he almost seems that much more eager to take a large swig of whatever poison he's got swishing around in there.

"About time you decided to wake up." He slurs. The bottle clinks as it meets his teeth. I don't know if he's speaking to me, so I just don't say anything. I realize that he's talking to not only me, but my brothers as well when Jayce answers in a hoarse yet commanding voice.

"Just shut the hell up and tell us where we are, would you?" Haymitch just chuckles.

"Please, Haymitch?" I try to sound like Rosy when I speak. He always did have a soft spot for her. I had only been curious when I asked Mother about it, but she only responded by getting a cloudy look in her eyes similar to Father's before he gets an attack and telling me that Rosy probably reminds him of someone he once knew. My aunt Primrose, I had learned later on. My mother sighs and gives the slightest hint of a nod to Haymitch before he begins.

"We're in the Capital. President Paylor's mansion, to be exact. _And you three-_" he points to Jayce, Lyle, and I, "are needed in training immediately. But first things first, there are some people you should meet." And with that, he gestures us further into the room.

"This is Beetee." My father tells me quietly. Beetee is a small, hunched shell of a man with thick glasses and a thin sheen of sweat across his forehead. Next up is Plutarch Heavensbee, a tall fellow that seems to take an interest in my siblings and I.

"Well, you look just like your mother did when she was your age!" He says after expressing how much Jayce and Lyle look like Father. To tell you the truth, I think Rosy looks more like him than my brothers. If she were here, she'd smile politely and shake his hand, then ask him about the large gold pocket watch 'casually' accessorizing his sleek Capital outfit. But, because I'm nothing like Rosy, I just shake his hand softly and say "Thank you".

After many other handshakes and hearing 'My, what a precious thing you are!' multiple times, I'm finally allowed to leave. I look at my brothers, expecting exasperation written across their faces, and find that they only look a bit frazzled. Peoples' people, those two are. And it annoys the hell out of me. As I'm about to turn a corner, a tall, broad-shouldered man almost runs into me but stops abruptly. I'm about to continue walking when I hear my mother suck in a breath before uttering one word.

"Gale?"

'Gale' looks up, blinks, does a double take, and swallows nervously. Funny, he looks like the type of person who could break my mother in half. So why does he look anxious?

"Katniss." He says in a measured voice. So we all stand there, looking back and forth between Gale and Mother, until she finally clears her throat and speaks.

"There's a few people I'd like you to meet. Gale, these are Peeta and I's sons, Jayce and Lyle. And this is Fallyn, our, excuse me, _one of our_ daughters." Gale seems to realize what this means and nods his head slightly. Father clears his throat quietly and we exchange a quick 'It was nice to meet you' before we continue on our way.

** Ok, so imma end it there because I'm just not feelin' it today…expect a new chapter later this weekend, though(: And thanks for being so loyal to this story! Sorry if things are moving sort of slow right now...oh, and btw, don't think that this is one of those 'Katniss and Peeta's kids get put in the Hunger Games' stories. 'Cuz it's not(:**


	5. Chapter 5

I wake up covered in a thin sheen of sweat with the sheets tangled around my ankles, and I'm not surprised. Nightmares have been invading my sleep every night since my family was attacked in District 12. I don't try to go back to sleep, because that almost never works. Instead, I decide that now is as good a time as any to explore my new 'home'. So I roll out of bed and tiptoe to the door. Once I'm in the hallway, though, I have no idea where I'm going. Everywhere you turn, it looks the same. How will I even find my way back to the room? I have just decided to wander around aimlessly and hope I find something interesting when I hear bits and pieces conversation and decide to follow it.

"All I want to know was why you chose _him_ instead of me, Katniss." Katniss? Why on Earth would my mother be talking with this person so late? Who _is_ this person, anyway?

"There was no choice to make. It was Peeta all along, Gale." Gale! That's who the mystery man is. So 'him' must be Father. But what 'choice' is Mother talking about? I can't quite wrap my head around all of it.

"Why don't you understand, Catnip?" _What in the hell? _"You and I were always meant to be together. It would have been us. Why don't you understand that? It was the Hunger Games that brought you two together. Admit it." Gale is spitting mad now, and every word he says is full of hatred.

"So? It still doesn't matter if the Games brought Peeta and I together. They didn't make the decision for me. _You_ did." I've never seen my mother this enraged.

"Just tell me this. What made your decision, huh? And don't say it was because I killed Prim. We don't know that. What did I do that was so _wrong-_"

"YOU LEFT! You ran and hid like a little boy after Prim died. I don't know what kind of sick, twisted game you two were caught up in. But you should have stayed, because I'm still your best friend." Mother's voice cracks. "I'm sorry, Gale. But I can't live without Peeta."

Fight or flight? I start running, because running is what I do best. I've been running away from my problems since I could walk. And there are so many problems behind me that I know I'll have to run forever if I want to escape them. Gale was in love with my mother. When had they ever been best friends? I'd never have guessed that, seeing the tension between them. And where does Father fit into all of this? I'd known that him and Mother had initially been forced together by the Hunger Games, and that it later turned into something real. Had Mother and Gale been together before all of this? It's all too much, and I can't handle it.


	6. Chapter 6

I slowly open my eyes to see none other than Jayce standing over the edge of my bed. He looks like a confused puppy, watching me with his head cocked to the side.

"What are you doing?" I try to sound angry but my voice is slurred from loss of sleep last night.

"I heard you leave last night. When you came back, I heard you panting." Figures. Jayce always seems to know what I'm up to. His voice softens before he continues. "What were you running from, Fallyn?"

Should I tell him everything I overheard last night? I'm not sure. Luckily, I don't have to make the decision right away, because Lyle chooses that moment to burst in the room.

"We're needed right away at the Training Center."

The moment we step outside the door, Haymitch closes in on us like a buzzard.

"Hurry up. The paparazzi are everywhere. Just keep your head down and don't say anything stupid, okay?" I don't officially digest this until I turn a corner and see peacekeepers holding back hundreds of people pressed up against the red velvet barricades forming a path to the hovercraft. Most of them have cameras in hand.

"Holy shit." Jayce's words couldn't be more true. My brothers must be just as shocked as I am, because they seem a little hesitant, scared even, to walk out there. A huge man in a crisp black suit opens up the door for me, and all hell breaks loose.

"Fallyn Mellark, is it true that your younger sister Rosy Mellark has been abducted by the former President Snow's secret forces?"

"Jayce Mellark, is it true that Peeta Mellark has agreed to give a speech on the war?"

"Tell me, Haymitch Abernathy, how are Peeta and Katniss Mellark handling the situation at hand?" It goes on forever, and by the time we've reached the hovercraft, I'm physically _and _emotionally drained.

"Ugh! Why do they ask all those questions?" I moan as a perky blond attendant hands me a large mug of hot chocolate that Lyle has ordered for me.

Haymitch snorts before answering. "Oh, I don't know why. Maybe because your parents are the star-crossed lovers from District 12 who led the rebellion? Hell, maybe because they _started_ the rebellion? Your parents are more important than you think, sweetheart." I cringe as Haymitch uses my 'inherited' nickname that I hate, possibly more than my mother did. I don't know how to reply to that, so I just take tiny sips of my hot chocolate and look out the window.

After yet another round of paparazzi, we finally enter the large glass double doors that lead to the Training Center.

"You'll be training with the other victors' children." Haymitch tells us. "There are eight levels of training. All of the other trainees are at Level 6, but I'm sure you'll catch on quickly." Haymitch winks at me when he says this, probably because he's remembering how well I at home when Mother and Father train me. "Once you reach Level 8, you'll be assigned to a squad for official combat." We all seem to understand this well enough, so Haymitch ushers us through the doorway.

As I take in the large gym that lies ahead of me, I notice several glass windows leading to smaller rooms where previous victors are watching their children work through drills. I scan through about five of them until I see Mother and Father in one of the rooms, both wearing headpieces. My brothers seem to be confused by this as well until a tall woman with fluorescent yellow skin hands us headpieces as well. We're told that Mother and Father will be 'supervising' us, or, in other words, telling us how to beat our opponent. I nervously walk over to where a group of trainees around my age are sitting.

"Okay you guys, by now you've probably realized that we have some new trainees joining us today. They're just Level 1, so we'll start out with some paired hand-to-hand combat." The woman with yellow skin pauses before continuing. "Jayce Mellark, we'll start off with you." My brother shakily stands up, obviously nervous about only being a Level 1. "You'll be paired with…Austin Hawthorne. Gear up!" My jaw must have dropped open at his last name, because a girl with long auburn hair sitting next to me starts laughing.

"What's the problem, Mellark-y? Already met my father?" When she says this, I whip my head around to face her. So she's Gale's child, too?

"But…he's not a…" I struggle to get the words out.

"No, but my mother is." It's then that I peer into the glass window next to Mother and Fathers' and see Gale standing next to a tall woman with auburn hair just like this girl's who could only be none other than Johanna Mason. This news surprises me, but I'm not able to ponder it any farther because Yellow Girl tells Jayce and Austin to get ready. It's now that I get a good look at Austin Hawthorne, who looks just like his father in every way. They both proceed to walk out onto a mat and get into position.

"Now Austin, go easy on Jayce. He's just a Level 1, you know." Yellow Girl is really starting to get on my nerves. "And…begin!"

Austin smirks and runs toward Jayce, obviously not planning on taking it easy at all. But Jayce has always been the best at hand-to-hand combat. And he knows it, too, because he just smiles smugly before dodging Austin, getting a firm grip around his waist, and flipping him over backwards, _hard,_ on the mat. Austin jumps back up, though, and manages to get Jayce on the ground as well. I take this as an opportunity to glance at my parents, who both have their eyebrows furrowed in confusion and are talking nonstop into their headpieces. Jayce finally gets Austin in a headlock, though, and he must tap out. Gale's daughter's jaw is dropped, along with everyone else's. _Level 1, huh?_ I think as I can't help but smile.

"Jayce Mellark, you've been redirected to Level 7." Austin laughs cruelly at this, probably because he had been the best trainee until now and he's angry. "Well then, on with training. Fallyn Mellark, you're up next. Rhaina Hawthorne, gear up." _So that's who she is…_

I silently pray that we won't be participating in hand-to-hand combat, and am thankful when Yellow Girl, Yolanda I hear Rhaina call her, hands me a bow. _Come and get it, Rhaina._


	7. Chapter 7

** Hello lovely readers(: I'm happy to say that at least **_**someone**_** has stuck with me throughout the duration of this story. Every time I think about how much I love writing this story, I smile! I can't wait to see what everyone thinks of what else I have in store for you, but if you have any ideas, REVIEW! All prepositions are welcome(:**

Weighing the bow in my hands, I look up at Mother and Fathers' window, where they are surely celebrating the fact that they will be defeating the Hawthornes twice today. But instead, I only see Father clutching the window pane tightly, eyes squeezed shut. Mother is frantically holding his face in her hands, ripping off her headpiece, and coaxing Father into opening his eyes. When he finally does, Rhaina 'accidentally' knocks into my side. And because she's obviously been training since she could toddle, and I'm completely unprepared, I hurdle through the air and land sprawled on the ground, injured and spitting mad.

"_Fallyn!_" Mother knows what I'm about to do even before I do. "Don't. You wouldn't win in a fight against her, and we both know that. Look at the bow in your hands, Fallyn. You can beat Rhaina. Think about it." And think about it, I do. Rhaina is obviously eager for our competition, so she probably doesn't know what I can do with a bow and arrow. And how could she, really? Just because my mother had the best shot in all of Panem doesn't mean that I do.

"She's right, dandelion. You're better than that." My father's quite, thoughtful voice assures me that I'm making the right choice. So I muster up all of my strength, stand back on my feet, and walk to the white circle that symbolizes the center of the mat.

"Today, we'll be doing some archery with you girls. The trainee that shoots the most orange disks out of the air wins. Rhaina, you're first." Rhaina arches one eyebrow and smirks before she steps to edge of the ring and raises her bow. Suddenly, a small bright orange circle flings through the air above us. Rhaina immediately spots it and shoots at it, making it explode into several small chunks. Less than two seconds later another disk comes flying toward us, until Rhaina has proceeded to hit about eight disks. She misses two though, and through her earpiece I can hear Johanna yelling at her.

"Fallyn, you're up next." Yolanda instructs me to keep shooting until she tells me to stop.

"Left side, _now!_" Mother's voice is urgent as I wheel around and shoot the disk directly overheard.

"Two coming from your right, Fallyn." Father is calm, cool and collected. After I proceed to shoot the two disks, I tune out my parents' voices completely and focus only on my instincts. Yolanda seems to sense my ability and shoots seven disks in the air at one time, all of them coming from different directions.

I don't miss any. About three seconds later, I watch Rhaina with a smirk on my face as bits and pieces of orange confetti rain down on the both of us.

"Fallyn Mellark, you've been promoted to Level 7." Hmm. _Level 7,_ I think. _Has a nice ring to it._ I make my way over to where Jayce is sitting and plop down beside him, tired from my agility in the 'arena'. After seeing what Jayce and I can do, Yolanda decides to work with Lyle one on one later, instead of pitting him against another trainee.

"That's it for today, folks. Training starts tomorrow at 2:00. Don't be late!" The other trainees stand and begin to either filter out the door or toward their parents. As I'm trying to decide where to go, the room dwindles down to only me. But when I look up at Mother and Fathers' window, I don't see anyone. _Have they left already? I wanted to make sure Father was okay…_Suddenly, a harsh voice interrupts my train of thought.

"You think you're so much better than us, don't you? You and your whole fucking family think you're so precious to this war." Austin Hawthorne seems to appear from thin air. But I hardly notice that, because I'm thinking about how much his words cut me. Austin is exactly like his father, and I despise him for it. Why can't they just let the past go? I notice that my blood pressure rises at the very thought of what Austin said.

"You. Have. No. Idea." I manage to choke out while balling my hands into fists at my side. Austin scoffs.

"Oh, please. I know exactly who you are. You prance around thinking that you're so badass when really, you're just a scared little girl!" This causes me to lash out at him.

"_You_ think that I don't have a right to be scared? My mother can hardly look at me some days without going into hysterics. My father has lock himself up in another room to keep himself from killing my mother. My sister is in Snow's hands right now. And _you_ think that you can just stand here and tell me that I need to stop being scared." Austin's eyes cloud over for a moment, and he looks down at his shoes.

As I watch him walk away, my vision suddenly goes hazy and fresh tears spill over the sides of my cheeks.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry I haven't updated it in a long time folks…I've been trying to work on my wanna-be novel(: **

Hastily wiping away the sad streaks tears have left on my cheeks, I attempt to find Haymitch. When I do find him, though, he's drunk as a skunk and practically useless. After trying to pry the flask out of his hand and failing, I give up and flop down in a chair next to him.

"Where are my parents?" I ask. He doesn't have time to answer before Jayce bursts through the doorway.

_"What in the hell did you do?"_ I jump as he addresses me. When I don't answer, he continues. "Why was Austin Hawthorne practically in tears when he passed me in the hallway?" My eyebrows shoot up in surprise, but I don't respond. Instead, I try to avoid the conversation entirely.

"Where are Mother and Father?" It's as good of a question as any, plus I honestly want to talk to them.

"They're in a hovercraft. On their way to some important meeting somewhere, I suppose." He says. I don't respond. A clip attached to Haymitch's pocket starts beeping, and he shakily stands up.

"The hovercraft is waiting out back. They're going to send body doubles out the front doors to distract the paparazzi." Jayce and I follow him to the doors, where Lyle is waiting for us. Just as promised, I can see teenagers a similar height and build as my brothers and I waiting by the front doors. On the hovercraft, I don't talk to anyone, just numbly sip at the scalding hot chocolate in my hands.

At my quarters in the mansion, I order a feast big enough for my entire family instead of eating in the dining room with my 'family', or at least what's left of it anyway. Cooked duck in white wine sauce, lamb stew, sweet rolls filled with lemon pudding, steamed vegetables with garlic sauce, and steaming apple pie a' la mode. I eat myself sick and give in when my eyelids become heavy.

It's the repetitive beeping noises coming from an intercom that wake me in the dead of night, and the rest of the building that had been asleep as well. I dash down the hallway to the elevator and find that my brothers are already waiting for me. When we get to the ground floor, there's mayhem. People dashing around us left and right, speaking into telephones and mouthpieces, most of them in their pajamas. When I finally do see a familiar face, I'm disappointed to find that it's Plutarch Heavensbee, looking around in bewilderment.

"What's going on?" It seems I've been asking way too many questions lately.

"A hovercraft on the way to District 13 was shot down by one of Snow's enforcements. Their location is unknown." It's only when Lyle makes a choking noise behind me that I realize what hovercraft Plutarch is speaking of.

**Okay, don't hate me for writing such a short update. I do know where I'm headed in the upcoming chapters, though! Expect an update within the next few days. Oh, and REVIEW! Please? (:**


	9. Chapter 9

** Some reviews have questioned a possible romance between Fallyn and Austin. What do you think? I honestly haven't decided yet, but in the next upcoming chapters I'm definitely planning on seeing a different side of Austin Hawthorne. He **_**was**_** crying in the hallway, after all…**

_Don't cry._

_ Don't cry._

_ Don't cry._

I repeat these thoughts over and over in my head. I have to be strong. But the utter chaos surrounding me is beckoning to bring me under, and it's all so surreal. Was it only a matter of days ago that I was attacked by Snow's forces? I feel like a completely different person, although I guess there's no turning back now since Mother and Father-

I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes.

_Don't cry._

Haymitch leads my brothers and I down several hallways, and then two flights of stairs. Row after row of windowless stark white doors pass me. At the end of yet another hallway, Haymitch pulls a set of keys from his pocket and ushers us into the room. It's then that I see we're at the same place Mother and Father took us when we got here, before they-

_Don't cry._

Instead, I take notice of Austin and Rhaina standing across the room, looking bored. It's not them that makes my eyebrows knit together in confusion, much like my Mother-

_Don't cry._

Instead, it's the small boy with big chocolate brown eyes and hair clinging to them that catches my attention. It's odd to think of anyone in the Hawthorne family as an actual _person,_ with feelings and…_a heart?_ My thoughts are interrupted by Johanna Hawthorne bursting through the doorway.

"Well, well. Look who it is. I'll have to say, I'm quite surprised you didn't just break down into hysteria like your dear old parents would have. I'll have to start giving you more credit." I squeeze my eyes tightly shut because now it's not tears that cloud my vision, it's blinding white spots of anger.

"_Shut up, Johanna!_" I've never seen Haymitch so angry. "The two most important people in the rebellion are missing, and these kids don't even know if their parents are _alive._ So. Shut. Up." The realization of Haymitch's words finally sinks in, and I honestly don't know if pleading with myself not to cry will still work or not. I glance to the left and see that my brothers are in the same position.

_Don't cry._

Johanna sighs. "Well then. I guess we'll get started, right?" She walks over to a panel on the wall and presses several buttons. A large section of the wall rotates and spins around, revealing several shelves of weapons. Not _just_ weapons, but…pieces of art. They're all so, so beautiful, in a cruel way. While I'm taking in the glistening knives, deadly handguns, and other weapons I couldn't even name, Beetee approaches me.

"This was your mother's bow. I saw your training camp footage and altered the bow to accommodate to your voice as well as your mother's." I suck in a breath. The sturdy black bow is beautiful, yet elegant and simple all the same. With intricate designs and patterns along the handle, it's everything I would have wanted in a weapon. But with this newfound desire for the instrument is an overwhelming feeling of dread for what I will have to use it for. Lyle swallows nervously beside me and I can see that he's thinking the same thing as well, although he's also looking at the exquisite dagger in his hand with admiration. Rhaina holds a powerful bow as well, although hers looks quite different than mine with several lasers and switches along the side. I avoid any eye contact with Austin whatsoever, but I do take notice of the stocky black handgun he's holding.

When Haymitch hands Jayce a silver pistol, Johanna leads us out the door and through another hallway, this one complete with DNA scanning and fingerprints. The heavily guarded door behind us closes tightly, and I sit at a long table across from a breathtaking young man that looks strangely familiar to me. I don't recognize him from training, though, and that's the only place I've been since we got here. President Paylor is seated at the end of the table, with several other people I don't recognize. She clears her throat loudly, and we wait for her to begin.

"As you can all see, it's been quite a hectic morning. The Mockingjay and Peeta Mellark were in hovercraft 391 when we lost all contact at 2:47 a.m. It is understood that the hovercraft was shot down, although the whereabouts of any and all passengers aboard the hovercraft is unknown." We all seem to have already understood this, so she continues. "Originally, you weren't supposed to become one of our forces. The meeting that hovercraft 391 was headed too was to discuss with our head squad the circumstances we are in. It seems now that our head squad has requested you meet with them." My head goes cloudy with confusion and I take deep breathes through my nose. _I'm part of the war?_ This can't be happening.

"Although only Finn Odair has surpassed training camp, it is understood that you are all well-trained enough to become a squad." I am finally able to place the familiar face with a name. Finn Odair, son of the late and great Finnick Odair. I realize Finn looks oddly similar to Finnick's picture in my parents' memory book.

"Any questions?" Either everyone is too stunned by the fact that we're about to be thrust into a war or we're just exhausted by the sudden change of plans, because no one says anything. Without any further words, Haymitch, Johanna, and Gale escort our 'squad' to the hovercraft.

**Like it? Love it? I actually really like this chapter(: And I hope you do too! Tell me how you feel about how the story is going, please! Hugs and kisses…**

**What are you waiting for? Seriously, hit that blue button. **

**Seriously!**


	10. Chapter 10

** Okay, I know. Why haven't I updated in forever? Well, writers' block sucks. A LOT. Anyways, I really, really want you to review this update. Please? Great. Now READ! (:**

"Hot chocolate?" I look to the Avox, and find him nod vigorously before turning swiftly on his heel and behind a set of stark white double doors. A button on Haymitch's breast pocket starts beeping, and he stands up.

"Plutarch has District 13 on the phone. We're needed for a conference call." Johanna finishes her glass of wine and heads through an opposite set of doors with Gale at her side. I breathe out a sigh of nervousness when I realize that the adults' absence leaves Austin and I alone in the room. Where in the hell are my brothers when I need them? I look down at my shoes.

"Was that your little brother? With you back in the Capital, I mean."

"Yes." I start to think that that's all he's going to say, but suddenly more words start spilling out of his mouth, as if he can't stop them. "His name is Bentley. He's 6…and I love him. More than anything." I look up from the floor and at Austin. I had never, _ever_ thought, in a million years, that I would have a connection with him. Yet here I am, feeling just the same way he does. I love Rosy so dearly, and feel like I _need_ to protect the last shred of innocence I have left.

"I know how you feel. My little sister…I love her so much." He looks me in the eyes and for the first time I realize that they're not a distant gray similar to his father's, as I had assumed, but more of a bright honey gold instead. I feel like I've been staring at him for too long, but I can't seem to come up with anything to say to him. So, taking the warm steaming mug of hot chocolate in my hands, I say the first thing that comes to mind. "Have you ever had hot chocolate before?" He smiles, and his eyebrows shoot up in amusement.

"I'll order some-" He starts to say, but I interrupt him.

"That's alright, I mean, I haven't taken a drink yet. It's okay, really." Austin moves closer to me and touches my hand. I suck in a breath and lean away, but he just smirks at me.

"You know, I'm not going to be able to try this hot chocolate stuff if you won't let me near it." His eyes twinkle. I let out a nervous laugh. My hands…they were holding the hot chocolate. Why am I so stupid? And why is my mind getting more and more fuzzy, like the time when I had come from school, terrified after seeing my parents' Hunger Games video, and Haymitch had gladly handed over his peppermint scotch? I look around for the nearest exit, wanting to do what I do best: run. But Austin grasps my hands in his, and I'm shocked by how they send bolts of electricity right through me. He takes a sip of the hot chocolate, only breaking eye contact with me for a moment.

"Mmm." I laugh a little when I realize that he has a chocolate mustache. "What?" He asks.

"You've…" I look down at my shoes once again. "Well, you've got a chocolate mustache." I reach for a napkin and raise it to Austin's mouth. His full lips feel so incredibly warm under my small, shaking fingers.

He's leaning towards me before I even realize what's happening.

I can't seem to grasp where my thoughts are. Am I _really_ kissing Austin Hawthorne? This is the first kiss I've ever had with a boy, and I don't know what I'm doing at all. Are his lips meant to be this warm? I squeeze my eyes shut and lean away, scared of what I'll find when I open them.

"I'm sorry, I…I don't know what came over me." He looks me directly in the eyes and it scares me. What does he find there? Anger? Guilt? Regret? Probably just nothing. A blank stare, full of unanswered questions and befuddled thoughts.

I mustn't of heard the door open, or Haymitch and my brothers along with Austin's family entering the room. But what I do hear, I wish I never had.

The explosions rip through the atmosphere, painting the outside windows orange and red while my eardrums scream in agony.


	11. Chapter 11

**Another update! Some of you seem to think that Austin and Fallyn are officially a couple…well, don't be judging the story quite yet, there is some drama coming! Hopefully this one will have more excitement for you(: Review! Please?...**

** Oh, and BTW, the name Fallyn means 'in charge'(:**

"_Get down!"_ I can honestly say that this will be the first and only time I will ever listen to Gale Hawthorne. In my kiss-induced coma, though, I'm not quite as fast to hit the floor when he orders us too, and Austin easily pulls me down with him while covering my body with his. My eyes are squeezed shut, and I feel the entire hovercraft vibrating as wave after wave of explosions rip through the after below us. After they finally slow, and eventually stop, I'm still hunched on the ground with my hands over my ears, trembling.

"Snow's forces?" Jayce needs only to say two words to Plutarch, who nods solemnly.

"When the Mockingjay forces overthrew the Capital, all we had to do was convince the districts to rebel. But Snow's forces, as you can see, are taking a different approach. They're going to try and kill off the government, then proceed to rush in and take office." My older brothers nod their heads.

"So…how do we stop them?" Lyle whispers, scared of what the answer may be. Haymitch doesn't hesitate to respond.

"Well, either they're going to die or we are." The room is silent as everyone takes this in. I turn to Haymitch.

"But we have the upper hand, right? I mean, obviously Snow's forces don't have very powerful bombs if they didn't succeed in blowing us out of the sky." I'm hoping that I'm right, because all I really need right now is some hope, but Haymitch is shaking his head before I'm even finished speaking.

"Most likely, Snow's forces weren't trying to bring our hovercraft down. My instincts are telling me that they were probably bombing the area below us, and we just happened to be flying above them." I nod in silence, letting it all sink in. Johanna claps her hands and rubs them together, attempting to fill the silence.

"Well, now that that's all settled…" She raises her eyebrows at me, and I can tell that Austin and I's little 'scene' hasn't been forgotten. I take a deep breath as an all too familiar warmth radiates through my cheeks, tinting them bright pink.

"I…I think I'll go to my room for the night, I'm tired." Although I'm sure that no one believes my lie, no one asks me any questions. When I finally hear the click of the door latch behind me, I start sprinting towards my room. I'm not quite sure where it's at, but the fact that I'm able to run away from all my troubles is enough for me. I head down the only hallway in the hovercraft, a boring stark white hallway complete with row after row of room doors. One of them is mine, I'm sure of it-

I stop dead in my tracks, panting, when I see Finn Odair walk out of one of the rooms, quietly shutting the door behind him. He's turns to walk somewhere, probably to find everyone else after the explosions, but stops when he sees me.

"Fallyn Mellark." Somehow it doesn't surprise me that he knows my name.

"Finn Odair." _Two can play at this game._ He gives me that infamous smirk of his, and raises his eyebrows ever so slightly. After realizing that I'm obviously not going to fall for it, Finn sighs and drops the act.

"Is everyone alright in there?"

"They're fine."

"And you?"

I exhale slowly before answering, because I'm not really sure if I'm okay myself. Finn seems to realize this, and sits down against his door before patting the spot beside him. I hesitate, but slide down next to him.

"Finn, how do you know if you have feelings for someone?" I ask. He closes his eyes, pondering this for a moment before responding.

"Miss Mellark, before I answer your question may I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Would this 'someone' you're speaking of be none other than a Mr. Austin Hawthorne?" When I don't answer, he laughs softly. "I'll take that as a yes."

"So, what if that 'someone' _is_ Austin?" I ask, trying to ignore the blush blooming across my cheeks while looking at my shoes.

Finn takes my chin in his hand, raising it ever so slightly so that he can look me in the eyes. "Well, if you had feelings for said Austin Hawthorne, then you wouldn't have to ask yourself that question, now would you?"

Although it takes some pondering, I finally understand Finn's words, and I nod. And, as I realize this, I also begin to understand something else, and it hits me like a ton of bricks.

I am drowning in Finn Odair's sea green eyes.

**Okay, so we got to see a side of Finn Odair in this update(: Tell me if you like him? Love him? And I really need to know what you think of the whole Austin/Fallyn thing…I want opinions people! So hit that blue button already. **

** Right now!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks to everyone who added 'Wherewithal' to story alerts! And you're super awesome if you reviewed, too. After this chapter I guarantee there will be quite a bit more action for you(: This is more of a filler chapter…**

** R&R, please!**

District 13 envelopes me in its stark white walls and crushing depression, weighing down on me and dragging me under. Jayce nudges my shoulder and points to a large frame on the wall that encases a picture of –you guessed it—my mother with the words 'Our Hero' written on a plaque beneath it. Figures. Plutarch seems almost jubilant, greeting familiar faces and leading us to what he refers to as the 'Mockingjay Room'. I pass our group to enter first, catching Austin's intense stare followed by Finn's imperceptible smirk on my way. Inside a room much like the one at Paylor's mansion, I see three people sitting at an oblong meeting table, looking bored: a young woman with flowing white-blond hair and high cheekbones, a young man with shaggy brown hair and dark brown—if not black—eyes that only look into mine for a fraction of a second, and a middle-aged man with blond hair wearing a suit. He's got a certain aura about him, like you instantly know not to mess with him.

"Welcome to District 13; I'm Charles. Take a seat; we've got the matter of utmost importance to discuss." The man says. Plutarch ushers our small parade towards the table. I reluctantly pull out a chair and sit down. Austin swoops in to sit at my right; Finn, looking bored, sits directly across from me nonchalantly. I sigh.

"So," Gale says, taking a seat at the end of the table, "Paylor tells us that you requested our star squad."

Charles's eyebrows shoot up. "_This_ is your star squad? You'd better be kidding me, Mr. Hawthorne. And to think Paylor told me herself you were her most trustworthy right-hand man." Gale's eyes narrow into slits.

"Perhaps once you see them in training, Mr. Gray, you'll decide for yourself." Charles nods his head silently.

"Very well, then. This is Evelyn Gray, my daughter, and Delsin Kramer. We did have…more, in our star squad, but…" His voice becomes eerily quiet as he avoids telling us what we all already knew. Once he's finished, we're escorted outside, passing a large room that is obviously a cafeteria on the way. The people in 13 are eerily similar, unlike 12. Everyone seems to have the same faraway look in her eyes, and a hushed growl in their stomachs not quite loud enough to be referred to as hunger.

I'm entirely lost in my own thoughts until a tug at my shirt catches my attention. My eyebrows shoot up once I look down and find a little girl, perhaps only five or six, with bright red hair and curious blue eyes looking up at me. "You're pretty."

I smile, although not for reasons that you might think. I love kids; they're so sweet and…_pure._ "You're pretty too. What's your name?" I bend down to my knees as my voice takes on a soft—almost, but not quite—motherly tone. The small girl smiles.

"Violet." I smile back at her.

"That's a sweet name. I'm—"

"I know who you are." My eyebrows knit together. Most people do know my mother and father, it's true. Given, I've had my fair share of airtime since I was born, but mostly when I was younger; Father hadn't let my near a camera since our little escapade when I was thirteen and he saw several boys hooting at me as I entered the bakery one day after school.

"And how do you know that?" I ask the Violet, my head inclining towards hers only slightly.

"Because, miss," Violet begins, and pauses, "you look like your mommy. And she told me to give this to you." I look down to see her palm spread open, facing me.

In it is a nightlock pill.

** Okay, kill me. I haven't updated in FOREVER. Sorry! Honestly I've just been having some MAJOR writers' block lately and been super lazy(:**


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm really proud of this chapter(: I know there are several readers of this story out there, and I'd greatly appreciate it if you reviewed this chapter(: There's just a bit of Fallyn's love life in this one, but it's mostly action…**

"_Jeez,_ Fallyn. Tone it down a bit, would you?" Jayce nudges my shoulder with his elbow (I know, I know. He's really that much taller than me.) and I flinch away from his touch, turning again to my bow and arrows. I can feel Charles's eyes on me, judging me, comparing me to my mother.

"You don't know anything, Jayce." I say. Lyle walks towards us, his shirt sweat-soaked from hand-to-hand combat with Delsin.

"Mother just wanted you to be safe. Stop worrying about it, Fally." I'm surprised. Lyle hasn't used his pet name for me in quite a few years, and I honestly hadn't thought that I look _that_ stressed out right now.

"Then why didn't Mother and Father give either of you a nightlock pill?" I ask the question that's been on my mind since Violet opened her palm and showed me what was inside.

Lyle hesitates for a moment, and Jayce answers for him. "They know we'll take care of ourselves."

"Oh?" I ask, aggravated. "And how do they know _that?_"

"Because I'm 6' 7'', 160, and there's two of me!" He bursts. I'm silent, stunned by Jayce's anger. When Charles tells us training is over, I stalk off to my room and refuse to leave for dinner which aggravates Haymitch endlessly.

"You're just like your mother!" He snaps before stomping away. I sigh and reach for the remote, dreaming of getting my mind off of things. Although, much to my dismay, only five short minutes later I hear a sharp knock at the door.

My fingers close around the doorknob and I warily turn it, hoping that it's not Haymitch. I'm surprised to find that it's Austin instead, leaning against the doorframe. He looks tired, with bags underneath his eyes and a certain hollowness to his face. I freeze, not knowing where we stand with each other.

"Come in." I say quietly, feeling stupid for sounding so formal. I _kissed_ the boy, for heaven's sake! Austin just nods and enters the room. He flops down casually on the couch, and I wait for him to speak.

"What did that girl give you?" He asks me.

"Violet." I whisper. "Her name was Violet."

Austin sighs. "Just tell me, Fallyn. You're scaring me."

I swallow. "Violet gave me nightlock. She—she said that my _mother_ told her to give it to me."

I feel Austin shift in his seat next to me. "And why would she do that?"

"Because," I answer honestly, "she'd rather I kill myself than be in the hands of the Capital. That's why it's killing her that—" I can't even bring myself to say her name. _Her_ name. The name that haunts me in my sleep, in my wake…everywhere. My voice drops again to a whisper. "That Prim is gone, and _they_ have her."

Austin looks at me, and I can't help but rest one hand on his knee sympathetically. He opens his mouth to say something, and then hesitates. "I know you and Finn were talking in the hallway."

I cringe. Austin's words hurt, as if he's accusing me of doing something more in the hallway with Finn besides simply talking. "And?" I ask.

"You tell me." His voice is cold, but I can see the muscles twitch in his jaw. His lips are in a straight line, those same lips that are hot to the touch…the same lips that I've kissed before.

"Austin, I—I asked him what it felt like when a person likes someone, okay?" He smiles, but only slightly, and the amusement doesn't reach his eyes.

"That's not the part of the conversation I heard. Or, more fittingly, saw." He says.

I gasp and move away from him. _"You were spying on us?"_ I screech.

His voice is shockingly innocent. "I was going to order some hot chocolate." He whispers.

My lower lip trembles and I move to grasp his hand in both of mine. "Oh, Austin, I—I'm just not sure what I feel right now." His smoldering golden eyes meet mine.

"Then show me." He says, his voice deep and without emotion again. "Either show me that you really care about me, or—or just tell me to leave and never come back." I don't hesitate to crash his lips to mine.

Kissing Austin Hawthorne is like being too close to a firework—the flames lick you just enough to sting. But I want more, so much more—I lean into him and wrap my hands around his back. Austin sighs and grips my waist, pulling me onto his lap. I'm pleasantly surprised to find that the rest of him is just as warm as his lips. His hands knot into fists in my hair, and I gasp. He grins, panting.

"Tired yet, Mellark?" He breathes. I put my palms flat on his chest and push him onto his back.

"Don't worry. I'm fantastic at _exerting_ myself." I murmur. Austin moans into my mouth, his hands gripping me tighter as my legs straddle him. I can feel something lodged under my knee, and reach to remove it. I accidentally hit a few buttons once I realize it's the remote, and the T.V. buzzes to life.

"—the Mockingjay and Peeta Mellark _live_ on television." My head snaps up and I roll off of Austin, completely absorbed to reporter's words. "We received overrides in our system early yesterday morning and have been fighting off Snow's attempts on and off throughout the day. It seems that Snow's forces are trying to broadcast the captivity of Peeta and Katniss Mellark. Due to the possibility of the downfall of the Mockingjay live, we've decided to hold all defenses against the attacks." With that, the screen turns black and then flashes back to life.

And that's when I see my parents slumped together on the floor.

Austin wraps me in his arms when I gasp; my eyes fill with tears as I realize that I just might be witnessing my parents' murder on live television. I swallow back saliva building in my mouth and take deep breaths to calm my erratic heartbeat. Several men in black suits walk into the room through a single door against the skin-colored beige walls. One of the men, the tallest, simply walks towards my mother, stands in front of her for a moment…and then swings.

Mother catches the man's hand, swings her leg upwards, and kicks him square in the jaw, knocking him out cold. _"Damn."_ I hear Austin whisper. And honestly, I'm just as shocked as he is. I had no idea that my mother was in such great condition, especially after having four children. But her skill also scares me. Could my mother really be a 'killing machine'? At least I know that Father would never hurt someone intentionally.

Or so I think.

He's already ready when another suited figure comes toward him. Father is quick to grab a flag stand with the previous Capital's flag on it and yank the metal eagle off of the top. He's got the man in a headlock with the eagle's sharp-tipped wing pressed to his throat. Father's voice is stead when he speaks.

"What's your name?"

The man struggles to answer. "A—Arthur."

"You got a family, Arthur."

"Ya—two…two kids and a wife."

"Two kids, huh?"

"Y—ya. Two girls."

"Do you want to see those girls again, Arthur?"

"Yessir."

"Then you're going to shut off that camera over there and shoot this fine gentleman over here." Father gestures with his head to the other suited figure."

"No." Father's grip tightens.

"You know, Arthur, I really want those girls to grow up with a father. You know that, right, Arthur?" Father's voice has grown cold.

"Yessir."

_"Then turn the camera off."_

The man smiles. "It won't matter. You and your bitch will be dead in a matter of days."

Father slits the man's throat with one quick slice of his wrist.

** Yay! This story is 13 chapters and going strong(: I want your opinions! Tell me what you think. And if you got the movie reference in this chapter, tell me in the review! First one to guess right gets $100…except not really.**


	14. Chapter 14

**You have no idea how sorry I am for not updating sooner! The last few weeks of school have been ridiculously busy, plus I had cheerleading tryouts to worry about. (Btw…I made it!) Anyways, here's the next chapter you definitely deserve(:**

"Jayce? Open the door, you moron!" I pound my fists against the door, aggravated.

"Are you sure this is their room?" Austin asks me.

"_Of course,_ this is their room. Says so right here." I say confidently, showing him the slip of paper with my brothers' names on it and _Room 293_ clearly printed below.

Austin doesn't have time to answer because the door swings open and Jayce looks at me with an exasperated expression on his face. "Are you here to tell me you were right?"

"What do you mean?" I burst. He's been playing this game all day and I'm tired of it, I just want to know what's bothering him so much.

"We _saw_ the footage, Fallyn. _You _saw the footage."

"So?"

"You were right. Mother gave you that nightlock pill so you could find her. She knew they were about to be captured."

I'm stunned. It had never occurred to me how obvious the whole ordeal seemed. Yet if the nightlock pill was a hint as to where she was, where the underground Capital's location was, then what did she mean by it?

"We could ask Rhaina what the nightlock pill means." Austin suggests. I look at him as if he's lost his mind. "She's a history freak. Probably knows where that pill will lead you, too."

Jayce shrugs. "It couldn't hurt."

I nod my head. "Okay…what about Lyle?"

"What about him?"

"Does he want to go with us?"

"Um…I'm not sure that he's up for it." My eyebrows wrinkle together in confusion.

"Jayce, what are you not telling me?"

Jayce sighs. "He's not doing so hot, Fallyn. After seeing Father do that…"

I know what he means. I had never imagined that Father was that cruel, Mother, perhaps, but absolutely not my father; the same one with kind eyes that bakes chocolate chip cookies for my brothers and I, the same one that loves unconditionally. It was quite the shock to see him acting in such a cruel way. I decide not to interrogate Lyle and let him heal on his own. "Let's go then." I say.

"And why are you here?" Rhaina asks, wrapped in a towel with a toothbrush in her hand.

Austin doesn't hesitate to respond, and I can't help but wonder if it's because he's had his entire life to learn how to communicate with her without being overwhelmed with insults. "Fallyn needs your help with something."

"…Wait a minute. You come all the way down to my room and interrupt my self-pampering session _because your girlfriend has a question for me?"_

Jayce's glances at me quizzically. I want to deny her accusations, of course, but a question continues to throb in the back of my head. _Where would I be right now if I hadn't accidentally turned the television on?_

"Look. Rhaina, Austin says that you know a lot about history and I wanted to ask you about that nighlock pill."

Rhaina hesitates. "I wouldn't suppose this has anything to do with your mother and father's broadcast." I look at my feet.

"I—I just need to know where they are." She nods her head finally and I step into the room, glancing around at all the clothes lying around the room and the rumpled bed sheets. Is this what an average teenage girl's room is supposed to look like? My thoughts are dismissed when Rhaina pulls a large book out from under a blue hoodie and flips through some pages.

"Your mother gave you a nightlock pill. Right?"

"Yes. Well, no. She had it delivered, in a way."

"From that little girl, right?"

I sigh. "Her name was Violet, Rhaina."

"Do you know _why_ she had Violet deliver that pill to you?"

"…Well, not _exactly."_

Rhaina nods. "This—" she gestures to the book—"is the community directory for every citizen currently living in District 13." My eyebrows wrinkle together in confusion.

"What do we need that for?" I ask. Rhaina doesn't answer, just flips through several pages before landing on one that seems to please her.

"Violet Harrison is from District 5."

"And?" I ask, frustrated.

But Jayce seems to understand what this means. "Mother and Father are in District 5." He says finally. Rhaina nods.

**Whew, glad that's done. The next updates will come much more quickly, I promise! Please remember to review though, because it inspires me to update quicker(:**


	15. Chapter 15

** Can you believe this? We're at 15 chapters now, and I don't have plans for stopping anytime soon(: This story is far from over. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and questioned some of the details of this story, it definitely made me realize I need to keep track of the details more effectively. Please, please, please review this chapter!**

I can hear the shattering of glass, probably a liquor bottle, coming from Haymitch's room. Another memory comes flying back to me and I freeze, Austin placing a secure and steadying hand on my lower back.

_I crawl out of bed, my five-year-old feet pattering along the floor to Mother and Father's room. The sound of broken glass beckons me. Once I reach the door, I press my ear to the cold, smooth wooden surface and listen._

"_Peeta?" Mother whispers so quietly I can hardly hear._

_ "Leave me alone, you Mutt." I refuse to believe that the voice on the other side of the door is coming from my father. It is entirely too harsh…and cold, and emotionless. No, no, NO. That voice is not coming from Father._

_ "Peeta, I'm not a Mutt. Please, just let me prove it to you—"_

_ "NO! It's a trick. Just shut up, Mutt."_

_ "It's not real, Peeta. I love you. Please—if the twins or Fallyn were to hear you…please."_

_ "What are you talking about, Mutt?"_

_ "I'm talking about our family."_

_ "Mutts can't have families. You're lying!" My small, chubby hand, still not quite devoid from baby fat, reaches upwards toward the door handle and turns it ever so slightly._

_ "Fallyn?" My mother's voice is hoarse. "Please, go back to your room. Mommy will be there in a moment."_

_ I don't respond, just look at my parents lying in their bed. "I wanted to sleep with you." I say quietly. I look at my mother's face, pale and in pain; I look at my father's face, a mix of shock and realization._

_ Before I know it, Father has me wrapped in a hug. "Of course you can sleep in here tonight." He says. I look at his and see tears welling up in his eyes._

_ "Why were you yelling at Mother?" I whisper._

_ Father kisses me on the cheek. "I just forget about how much I love her sometimes." I nod my head as if it all makes perfect sense to me and crawl in bed right between my parents, being careful to step around the shards of glass next to the bedside table._

"Fallyn? Are you alright?" I give my head a quick shake and see Austin waving his hand in front of my face.

"I'm fine. Just—remembering something." I say steadily, although I can feel the familiar sting of fresh tears welling up and threatening to spill over. Austin's arms wrap around me and I can feel his lips kiss the top of my head softly.

"We don't have to do this if you don't want to." He suggests. I take a deep breath.

"I'm fine, Austin!" I say defensively. He looks behind him and sees that Jayce and Rhaina are obviously already down the hallways quite a bit, and then he takes my face in his hands and kisses me.

My hands automatically find his hair, where I use them to grip his head and press it closer to mine. I feel Austin's hands press me closer to him; he mumbles something into my mouth, not quite words, and I smile.

Behind us, Lyle clears his throat. "Well, I came to catch up with you guys, but I can see you're busy."

Austin looks down, his tan cheeks tinted a shade of pink; I smile at that. "It's fine. I'll just catch up with the others." He's walking away before I can protest; I spin around.

"What was that about?" I ask angrily.

"You tell me, Fally. Have you forgotten that _our parents are missing?_ That Rosy is missing? I thought we came here to try and find them. And then I walk down here—to explain what's going on to Haymitch—and find _Austin Hawthorne_ sucking your face off. Have you forgotten who he is?"

My lower lip trembles. "You don't know anything about Austin." It's a poor excuse, but the best one I can think of.

Lyle sighs. "I just don't want my little sister to get hurt." He whispers.

"Remember when Kade Harrison broke up with me?" I giggle quietly and Lyle laughs.

"Jayce and I gave him a black eye and three broken bones."

"See?" My voice becomes serious again. "You're always taking care of me. Just give Austin a chance, Lyle. For me?"

Lyle looks at me quizzically for a moment, and then smiles and wraps me in a hug. "Fine. But you know that if he breaks your heart, I'll break his face." I laugh.

By the time Lyle and I are walking towards Haymitch's room, Jayce, Rhaina, and Austin are headed back. By the looks on their faces, I can tell that Rhaina was right. "Pack your bags." She tells me. "Haymitch is calling Plutarch and the rest of the squad right now." She must've seen the confused look on my face, because she continues. "We're going to District 5."

** Okay, a quick note to my reviewers(: To MaskedMuse: I understand why you believe that Fallyn and Austin are moving rather quickly, but my motive for chapter 10 was that she would see a softer side of him—obviously because he loves his brother so much. That's when Fallyn realizes that Austin is a much deeper person than she had assumed. The reason that their relationship is moving so quickly at the moment is because Fallyn still hasn't confronted (or even spoken to) Finn, and I wanted her feelings to be secure before that happened. Okay, now that that's over(: Please review! **


	16. Chapter 16

** Hello my lovely readers!(: Thankfully this wait wasn't as long as the last ones, but my birthday was last week and I've been really busy. But today I decided to get back to writing, so you're welcome(: Enjoy! Oh, and Charles, Evelyn, and Delsin are in this chapter (previously introduced in Chapter 12), so you may want to go back and read that to learn more about these characters because I'm planning on expanding them a bit more.(:**

"What exactly are you planning to do?" Johanna has been apprehensive since we informed her that we were going to District 5. When nobody answers, she rolls her eyes.

"Listen, I hate to burst your bubble and all, but I'm with Johanna here." Finn says. "You don't even know what you're doing." His words, the first ones he's said to me since our chat in the first hovercraft, sting me. I don't care if I don't know what I'm doing at a time like this—I just want my parents back.

"At least we're doing something, right?" Jayce snaps at him. "It's better than curling into a ball on the floor and crying about it."

"Just drop it, okay?" Lyle says quietly—we both know when to interfere with Jayce's temper. I don't look at it quite like Lyle does, though; he thinks that Jayce just has a temper, whereas I'm inspired by his passion for the things he believes in.

"They'll most likely be in hiding." Haymitch says as Gale nods his head. "These people are smart; they know that everyone is looking for Katniss and Peeta. If those two are in the underground Capital headquarters, their main location is more likely to be found."

Gale nods his head. "We need a game plan before the hovercraft lands—disguising it as a Capital plane was an excellent idea, but that's not going to get us far when this thing lands."

"Where do you think they're keeping them?" Lyle asks. "If we can at least conjure up where they're most likely at, then we have a pretty good chance of defeating these Capital bastards." I'm shocked at Lyle's word choice, simply because he's never been the kind of person to say things like that. But right now, I can't say that I feel any different, really.

"I say they're in one of the factories." Finn says. "It'd be easy; just find an abandoned warehouse and use it to their advantage."

Austin and Jayce nod their heads, but Johanna's eyebrows knit together in frustration. "That'd be too obvious—they're trying to stay hidden, for God's sake. I think they're undercover. You know, with a fake office supposedly working for some completely different purpose or something."

Haymitch smiles mischievously. "Definitely something the Capital would do."

Both of these suggestions make sense to me; they really do. But I know my parents—and what they're capable of—and if they were in either of those locations, they would have escaped by now. What is the only place that would crack my father's sanity, and discourage my mother from attempting to escape?

The realization hits me so fast I can't think strait.

"Underground." I whisper. "Mother and Father are being kept underground." A bit louder now.

Delsin, one of the new squad members, snaps his fingers. "That's it."

"Peeta's hijacking relapses would return more quickly and Katniss would break down, what with her father's dying underground." Haymitch says. "It's perfect."

Finn smirks. "So now all we need to know is how in the hell we're going to get underground."

***Line***

Charles unloads the weapons from a trunk in the back of the hovercraft. Austin receives his stocky black handgun that I had noted him holding several days ago, and I can't help the familiar sting of tears in my eyes as Charles hands me Mother's black bow.

I suddenly regret fighting with Mother all those years now; it seems pointless to love her less just because I am—_was_—convinced that she used to be a homicidal killing machine.

"I'm a bit scared right now—I can't imagine how it is, knowing that those people have your parents." Evelyn says to me. I like her, although she seems a bit wimpy at times. She clicks her dagger into its proper holster on her wrist and dances to the front of the pack, catching up to her father.

"All business now." Haymitch orders us, his voice strong. "If someone dies, move on."

I can't help but release a quiet sob as the thought of one of my brothers dying suddenly hits me. And when Austin gives my hand a quick squeeze, I stop dead in my tracks.

What would life be like with Austin Hawthorne no longer in it?

It seems like years since I've lived my life without him, although I've only known him for what—a week now? Yet so much has happened since that day at school—I've learned so much about who I really am, but at what cost? My parents are missing. My little sister is probably chained up in a room somewhere, half conscious and starving.

Why can't I be the only one in my family to die?

"Fallyn." Austin squeezes my hand again. I shake my head, out of my previous trance.

"Don't do anything foolish in there." I say. "You don't need to be the hero."

"Who said anything about being a hero?" He asks. "I just want to keep you safe."

"Well don't." I retort angrily. But before I spin on my heel and attempt to catch up with the rest of the group, Austin cups my face with his hands and kisses me roughly, like he's in a hurry.

"Promise me you won't die." His voice cracks on the last word. I try to swallow down the feeling of dread rising in my throat, but there's no way to stop it.

Because I can't promise him that, and we both know it.

I turn on my heel and run to the front of the group.

** Really proud of this chapter(: The next chapter is going to definitely going to be badass, I can feel it! Can't you? Oh well. Review please!(:**


	17. Chapter 17

** I'm not going to beg for reviews…I'm not going to beg for reviews…who am I kidding? I only got **_**3**_** reviews for my last update! Go ahead, feel sorry for me. **_**Anyways,**_** I know that there's tons of readers out there because ****Wherewithal****'s stats are awesome right now. And it's not like I've blocked anonymous reviewers or anything! …Enough of my ranting. Just review this update, okay?(:**

Haymitch makes an odd noise in the back of his throat as I bound in front of him, my bow already buzzing with excitement and anticipation in my hands. We trek through the brush and branches, remnants of a portion of District 5 that was bombed during the rebellion and has never been rebuilt.

"And what, exactly, do you think you're doing?" He asks me as we crouch down in a large cluster of bushes near the large clearing where a bomb hit long ago.

I wave away Haymitch's question momentarily as I notice a man dressed much similar to the ones that abducted my siblings and I that first day I was informed of Snow's forces. Remembering the gunshots heard as I was tossed in the back of the van, I wonder if any of my classmates or 'friends' are still alive. What are they doing right now, if they are?

I gesture to the others behind us to keep quiet, and Rhaina rolls her eyes at my obvious attempt to look like I know what I'm doing. The man stands next to a dilapidated storm cellar entrance awkwardly before bending down momentarily to move a small rock. I'm befuddled by his actions until I see the keypad on the ground. Haymitch nudges my side as I nod slightly; we both know what this means.

We've found Snow's headquarters.

I turn around in a sitting position to face the others, who carefully crouch around Haymitch and I. "We need to find a way in."

"No duh, Brainless." Johanna quips.

You'd think, with her being the mother of my boyfriend and all, that she'd be a little more accepting.

Delsin walks towards us, his reddened face covered by a thin sheen of sweat. "I've walked the perimeter of the building and the cameras are off right now, probably just activated by guards if they see something suspicious. There's guards on the top of the building; if we take them out then we can send someone in to look for Katniss and Peeta."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding as Finn works out a plan for us to approach the site in pairs: Charles and Gale, Johanna and Haymitch, Rhaina and I, Lyle and Finn, and Jayce Austin, and Evelyn. Before leaving, Gale turns suddenly, grabs Johanna by the shoulders, and presses his lips passionately to hers. I swallow, wondering if that will be the last kiss they'll ever share.

Haymitch instructs Rhaina and I carefully. We are to use only hand-to-hand combat to stop any guards. Lyle and Finn will be closer behind us than usual, to help we need it. After hearing several thumps from the roof, my heart is pounding considerably. Austin squeezes my hand; my breathing increases rapidly.

Haymitch approaches the edge of the roof and nods; it's our turn. Rhaina climbs the ladder towards the roof first and I follow, glancing behind myself uncertainly. I can hear her fist connect with something powerfully as soon as she's over the edge.

_ How many guards are still up there?_

My eyes peek over the rim of the ladder and widen. There are four guards on the roof total—two lying on the ground, one vomiting towards the edge, and one that still has a little fight left in him. Rhaina skims by quickly, grabbing his communication device smoothly as she passes. She doesn't have to work very hard, though; once his eyes connect with mine I'm the only one he wants.

As he approaches I kick my leg swiftly, earning a satisfying grunt as my foot buries itself deep in his groin. He lunges for me just as I turn to run by—and we both land with a muted _thud_ on the concrete roof, his legs straddling me and preventing any attempt of escape.

I lock my jaws so tight they ache to prevent myself from screaming. The guard yanks my hair upwards and I notice the gleam in his eye as he sees my realization:

He's going to kill me.

An agile figure hits the guard from the side. I glance to my right, already thanking Lyle to save my life. But I snap my mouth shut when I realize it's Finn, looking at me with an odd expression on his face.

"What?" I whisper, my eyes filling with tears. He doesn't answer, just begins to pepper my face with chaste kisses.

"I thought you were going to die," he finally whispers. "Promise me I won't ever have to think that again."

I realize, for the second time today, that I've had to promise I won't die.

"We should—" my voice cracks before I can continue. Luckily he knows what I'm thinking, and yanks my shoulder upwards, shoves me towards the vent that I'll be entering.

Just before entering, I glance back only to find Finn slit the throat of the man who tried to kill me.

** It was action-packed, it was brave, and it was rash. Hopefully that's enough to get a response out of you! Obviously there's some pretty heavy stuff between Fallyn/Austin/Finn right now, but that will have to wait for a couple more chapters only because the next one is going to be all about the hunt for Katniss and Peeta. I know this update took a long time; it's storming outside, it's 11:30 p.m., and I figured I might as well finish this story now. REVIEW!**


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